Appalachian Trail turns 75

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the completion of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.), the longest hiking-only footpath in the world, measuring roughly 2,180 miles in length from Georgia to Maine.

A celebration marking the anniversary will take place on Aug. 11-12. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will host a weekend celebration at its headquarters in Harpers Ferry, W.V. Highlights include guest speakers, workshops, activities, food, music and games.

Trail-maintaining clubs across the East Coast are also preparing events to celebrate the anniversary.

The original AT took more than 15 years to build and was completed on Aug. 14, 1937. Construction involved the cooperation of hundreds of volunteers, state and federal partners, local Trail-maintaining clubs, the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC).

The A.T. travels through 14 states along the crests and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range from its southern terminus at Springer Mountain, Ga., to its northern terminus at Katahdin, Maine. Over 250,000 acres of contiguous Trail lands are protected and managed along the footpath.